Brexit Twitter spat: UK, Northern Ireland trade barbs online over post-Brexit policies

Following  British Brexit negotiator David Frost’s remarks that the EU must agree to inculcate the “significant change” to the Northern Ireland (NI) protocol, UK and Ireland ministers exchanged barbs on October 10. Prime Minister Boris Johnson negotiated the NI protocol with the EU during the Brexit settlement that has led to continued tensions between Britain and Northern Ireland and has been the catalyst for discontentment among Belfast’s unionist community. 

The UK, though, recently suggested that the NI protocol must be rewritten due to the "significant problems" faced on the Irish Sea trade border that halts importing British goods due to inspection after the post-Brexit GB-NI trade deal. NI protocol arrangements represented a huge compromise by the UK, according to the British government, which was designed to protect the Belfast (Good Friday) Agreement. Since its implementation, the protocol has proven to be a drag on the new partnership between the UK and the EU, and the UK suggested that the border between the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland must remain without infrastructure or checks as the latter pitched for new negotiations for Trade and Cooperation Agreement. 

Coveney, Frost trade barbs over role of EU judges 

On Saturday, however, a war of words ensued on Twitter between the UK and Ireland officials. “EU working seriously to resolve practical issues with the implementation of Protocol, so UKG creates a new “red line” barrier to progress, that they know EU can’t move on, are we surprised?” Ireland’s foreign minister Simon Coveney asserted on Twitter earlier yesterday. “Real Q: Does UKG (UK Government) actually want an agreed way forward or a further breakdown in relations?” he added. To this David Frost responded: “I prefer not to do negotiations by Twitter, but since Simon Coveney has begun the process, the issue of governance and the CJEU is not new. We set out our concerns three months ago in our 21 July Command Paper.”  The latter dismissed the Irish minister’s claims that he was making new demands, adding that the role of the European Court of Justice was laid out three months ago. “The problem is that too few people seem to have listened,” Frost said. 

European Court of Justice's oversight in NI Protocol a 'red line'

In his speech in Portugal last week, ahead of new talks with the EU, Frost had asserted that the European Court of Justice’s oversight in the Northern Ireland Protocol is a “red line”. He also called for "significant" changes to the post-Brexit agreement including the role of European judges. His remarks came after DUP leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson told a briefing that there needs to be “concrete legislative changes” and not just “a change in language” from the trading bloc. He told the Daily Telegraph that if the EU did not make necessary changes, it “will not resile” from walking away and “let the public have their say on the Irish Sea border” through an election." The last number of weeks have sent a clear message to the European Union that, if they really believe in stability and protecting the progress made in Northern Ireland, then they need to think again,” he told the paper.